Tag: leadership

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Ezekiel’s version of Psalm 23.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34‬:‭11‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ezekiel, the prophet (spokesperson) for God writes about the Good Shepherd. I am told that Ezekiel wrote this while in Babylonian captivity and that he was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel.

I was surprised to see a whole different version of Psalm 23 and John 10’s discussion of the Good Shepherd. Those other passages focus on the aspects of care and provision that a shepherd provides for their flock. Ezekiel uses the same imagery, but turns it into a compare/contrast of how the shepherd determines the health of sheep. In Ezekiel’s warning, God is not happy with fat shepherds tending to fat sheep while the majority of flock is barely alive, skinny and wasting away. God says that he will step in to shepherd His people himself and bring them back to health.

In the verses that follow, there is a stern word to those who get fat and keep favorites – specifically saying that to the leaders of Israel. Ezekiel even uses the object lesson/illustration of separation of goats from the sheep – a strong theme in the New Testament of separating those who God is for and those He is against. This version isn’t the toasty-warm, fuzzy-feels you’d get from David’s Psalm 23. This is a wake up call to leaders across all industries who have responsibility for others. Yes, in this context it is only speaking to the proper care of God’s people and God’s ability to step in to judge and overrule the extraordinary, self serving attitudes of Israel’s leaders. However, as one commentator writes, “This message of leadership, drawn from shepherding, is applicable to other occupations. Good leaders seek the interest of others before “feeding” themselves. Leadership that imitates “the Good Shepherd” of John 10:11, 14 is fundamentally an office of servanthood that requires genuine care for the wellbeing of subordinates. Managing people is not about power trips or holding one’s authority over others. Rather, godly and righteous supervisors seek to ensure that the people under their care are flourishing.” http://bit.ly/GG5123. The concept of servant leadership has been popular for over two decades, but it still seems to be difficult when money and power come into the hierarchy structures of businesses and organizations alike. It’s especially nauseating when there are “shepherding” missteps in the Church. I love the fact that God’s eternal Word and Ezekiel’s warning are very applicable today. For a few years now I have strived not to be a Senior Pastor or even a Lead Pastor. I have chosen to be known as our church’s CSO, Chief Servant Officer. Sure, our folks joke with me about the title, but it constantly reminds me that I am an under-shepherd to the good shepherd- Jesus!

Prayer

Dad,
How could I be anything else but be a shepherd that cares, gives, protects and even leads the folks you’ve given me responsibility for? You have led my life so well. You have placed amazing men and women over me (past and present) that are wonderful examples of being a servant. My desire is to continue to serve well. Please help me to grow in capacity to serve and lead as long as I am in position and have any kind of power to do so.

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Happy King, happy kingdom?

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.” Psalms‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a common phrase and understanding in many households, especially back in the day, “If momma ain’t happy, no one is happy.” If you go further back in time, way back, you’ll find the original concept, “if the king ain’t happy, no one is happy.”

Psalm 21 is a song of thanksgiving. It focuses on King David at a time in his life when things were going well. The interesting point to this imagery of a king is this, the king is often credited with being an example of the moral state of a kingdom in the Old Testament.

The Psalms were all written to be a foreshadowing of the coming messiah. And in the messiah’s arrival would come a final season of peace, prosperity and justice for all the wrongs done to Israel. The messiah was definitely projected to be the inevitable, invincible conqueror! So when Jesus showed up as a baby and did everything contrary to any Jewish leader before him, the Jews were naturally suspicious. What kind of conqueror lays down his life, seemingly ending his rule and reign. And Jesus had no heirs! What kind of leader was this?

I wonder if this Psalm 21 characteristic turns out to be true in leaders today? When a leader is happy, the followers are happy. When a leader ain’t happy… well we’ve all seen plenty examples of this on a global and local stage. My take away isn’t exactly about a king or a momma. As a leader, a shepherd, a servant I see the absolute necessity in guarding and protecting my own heart to more or less stay in a place of calm, you could call it a “guarded gratefulness.” There is a lot of chatter and situations that can cause a perpetual state of unhappiness and I end up seething AND seeding a whole batch of angry, frustrated and divided crops of unfruitful and unfulfilled trees! A king, a momma or a leader needs to find a place of perspective and peace to not perpetuate the “ain’t no one happy” culture in their kingdom, home or organization.

Prayer

Dad,
I try and try and try to remember these concepts and work hard to not take the bait to become bitter. It is so very hard. My mind triggers my emotions and they just ramp up faster than I can coral them back into place. I need to seek and ask far more questions before flying off into unrealistic scenarios that end with poor behavior or words that can not easily be retracted or rescinded. Help me seek you first before I fire up the whole emergency response mechanism in my head. Thank you for your grace and mercy when I blow it.

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My portfolio.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” Titus‬ ‭1:6-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I made a decision to follow Christ at fifteen and another decision to be a Pastor at seventeen. In both cases, I had no idea what I was really doing! I say that, not because I have regrets, only to remind myself that I was in over my head from the very beginning.

I had to learn so many things that should have come, let’s just say more naturally, from being raised in a stable home environment. I was not. I was awkwardly, socially delayed in many ways. And to the ways of God, the things of the Spirit – I was super naïve. I didn’t know Pastoring came with a predetermined job description that the Apostle Paul laid out for Titus and Timothy.

Robin and I were married and we did have children, but from there it seems it took half my life just to qualify for this calling. You realize that Titus and Timothy were likely NOT married when Paul wrote this letter. Paul believed in both these young men to the point that he assigned them to Pastor the churches in Corinth (for Titus) and Ephesus (for Timothy). These were not easy assignments!

Paul lists these qualifications for Pastoring, but ALL of them are character qualities – not educational, nor business accomplishments but packed full of acumens. Marriage and non-rebellious kids are listed first. The kids can’t be “asótia: wasteful nor anupotaktos: un-submitted, unruly.” The general idea is, “how can someone lead when they have no one to struggle with/fight against wills with?” Marriage, coupled with parenting has a way of stripping a person down to their core and hopefully allowing them to rebuild their life to love and lead with a framework of servitude. A wife/husband and children know more about you than anyone else in the world. You just can’t hide character flaws from these folks!

An overseer, (NLT, church leader) is simply a “oikonomos: the manager of a household.” So it makes sense that Paul says, just find someone who is already managing their own household well. The rest of the qualifications are about a temper, drunkenness, violent and dishonest with money. All of these, again, paint a picture of a good manager.

Paul, however, then lists more leadership qualities: hospitality, loving goodness, righteousness (dikaios: correct, righteous, by impl. innocent) and disciplined (egkratés: mastered from within, an inner strength). These go beyond management and speak more of someone transparent, positive, and focused on what’s godly. These are folks that are trustworthy to follow! Echoing Paul’s words to “follow me as I follow Christ.” As a Pastoral portfolio goes, this is not just a job, it’s a calling. It’s also a lifetime commitment to continue to grow and mature, not to just maintain the “look” of a leader, but increasing in faith and love.

Who aspires to be this kind of person? Who desires to manage and lead their own life as well as others? Without the calling and grace of God, you would be crazy to even attempt it! I am never really qualified, I am humbled to believe that God would use me to fulfill this assignment!

Prayer

Dad,
At the end of my time here on this broken earth, I hope to live up to Paul’s portfolio of a Pastor, an Overseer, and definitely an under-shepherd for those who gather and are called your Church. I would be happy to cross the finish line with a “well done, good and faithful servant.”

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Leading in a vacuum.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.” Acts ‭7:51-53‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​What in the world makes us so weird and trippy about religion? These men, and they were all men btw, who murdered Stephen for his mouthy truth telling were nothing more than elevated scribes from Ezra’s day, some 400 years earlier.

Ezra was a “scribe and a high priest” in the Old Testament, which was a well respected position and important place of honor in Israel.

Ezra did something extraordinary. He started a school, a school for “ready scribes.” These were writers, translators and keepers of the written laws of God.

Interestingly enough, it was the Persian king, “King Artaxerxes, King of Kings,” who appointed Ezra to this task. “This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.”

Artaxerxes speaking, “And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God’s laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it. Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.” Ezra‬ ‭7:10, 25-26‬ ‭NLT‬‬.

God was certainly with Ezra, and I am sure he was a great guy for the job. However, it’s worth noting that God never told Ezra to create this special class of scribes who would eventually become the religious leaders of Jesus day (Pharisees and Sadducees). They were like a religious council both controlling the high priest and the people of God. And no doubt these religious council leaders still operated under the authority of the school of scribes started by Ezra.

Just remember it was Artaxerxes who charged Ezra and his appointees to punish, with death, anyone who would refused to obey the law of God. Plus, Artaxerxes was the first guy to finance their newfound positions, “Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.” Ezra‬ ‭7:15-20.

Whoa. This was still in place when the religious leaders used temple funds to pay Judas to betray Christ! All that power, all that wealth, used just to force the New Testament people to obey their massive rules attached to the law of God! So when they didn’t like what Stephen was saying, they were in their Artaxerxes given rights to stone him to death. Wild huh? Do you think keeping the priestly, scribe-like position is a good thing for the Church today? I am not a fan.

Prayer

Dad,
It is so disturbing to think of what we are capable of being and doing in a vacuum of godly leadership. I’m sure that Ezra’s motives were pure. Maybe his actions were a little off, but wow it started a very long line of spiritual abuses of excess and misappropriation of justice. It’s a good thing we don’t run the Church like that today… or do we? Christ’s example of servant leadership was supposed to be the preferred model, right? It seems hard to lead without power and money. Yet, this is how it should be done, if we are to lead under the authority of Jesus – right?

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Somebody stop me!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.” Jeremiah‬ ‭6:13-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Brought to you by the same guy that gave us Jeremiah 29:11. Oh, God has plans alright… but there’s this little (cough, cough) issue of deep, hidden, pervasive SIN. Just before this passage Jeremiah quite dramatically says, “So now I am filled with the Lord’s fury. Yes, I am tired of holding it in! “I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets and on gatherings of young men, on husbands and wives and on those who are old and gray.”

The spokespersons for God had the awful job of delivering warnings, consequences and mostly bad news. Anything to get us, to shake us back into the reality of how far we’ve slid, how far we’ve drifted. And, enough is enough. For selfishness and self serving hunger from sin there is never satiation, it’s never enough. We don’t come to our senses. We don’t have an ultimate endpoint of self awareness to reign in our lust and desires.

God must stop our spiraling pursuit of MORE. Jeremiah describes it as greed, but it’s far more than just material gain, it’s power, control and massive egotistical tyrannies of self-protection.

We are currently being served (or subjugated) by these narcissistic leaders all around us today! No wonder Jeremiah can’t hold it in any more! There’s a moment when we also get a sense that one; we have just given up and expect these bad characters to lead us or two; we want these maniacs in power because they also give us what we want.

Do we really want leaders constantly telling us, leading us to DO RIGHT and LIVE RIGHT? God put a stop to all of it when He PUT his own people into slavery, under a powerful leader in the most wealthy kingdom of its day. It starts to feel like God would be saying, “if you want to behave like slaves, then I’ll just let you have your way.”

I’ve been seeing a lot of bad human qualities in me, reflected through these Old Testament stories. One is: I want what I want, when I want it and I don’t want anyone telling me different! Two is: Never point out when I’m wrong, because it is ALWAYS someone else’s fault! Geez, I’m a real piece of work here.

God stopped his people from destroying themselves and lovingly punished them to protect them. And, God is still doing so today in our lives, in our culture, even in our churches. I wouldn’t be too eager to celebrate God’s judgment on our “pagan” neighbors in entertainment, media, politics, policing, education or business. God is willing to start with his own, the church. Peter wasn’t afraid to just plainly write it out in 4:17, “For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household.” You know what’s wild, this is GOOD news. To quote Jim Carrey in The Mask, “Somebody stop me!”

Prayer

Dad,
I see that my sin could and would carry me away, far away from you. I see that you’re love equals discipline as much as it means blessing. I see, I know the things in my heart of hearts and I am thankful that the Holy Spirit both corrects and keeps them in check. I cannot get away from my sins, but I can confess and turn and run towards you rather than run from you. Thank you for your correction and your grace.

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The audience of ONE

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.” 
2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:12-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Not everything that is taught is caught, not all motives and understanding are known and received here in our bent and broken world. Have you ever seen light bend? It can and you’ve seen it often in a rainbow. Just like the perception that light is bending, so it is with our understanding of many things we experience while in this fractured world.

Paul makes a clear leadership truth that is hard to accept – not everyone gets you! There are critics, doubters and outright resisters towards your message, your ideas, and your way of thinking. In fact, you may only find the Pareto principle effect with those who “get” you – that’s only 20% on a good day. Paul makes a declaration that is hard for those who like to be liked and want to know that everyone’s on board with every idea that bubble-cloud’s out of our head.

His confidence and clear conscience is before God. Ah, the audience of ONE! Only one to make happy, to be true to, be absolutely 100% straight with – only God. What freedom from public critics and persecution when there is only one to please and one to receive your confidence from.

And, this “God-given” holiness and sincerity is not PRIDE-PUFFED, it’s in complete humility of receiving grace and not depending on our own wisdom. Then, Paul writes, then there will be a “pride-swap” or boasting when Jesus returns. Because it will be about our listening, our obedience and not our own leadership smarts.

A leadership tip I picked up in my forties, “NEVER believe your own press!” Paul told the churches in Rome and Corinth, “pride and knowledge PUFFS up…but love BUILDS up.”

PRAYER:

Dad,
No wonder discouragement runs so closely parallel with leadership! When my focus is not only pleasing people but relying on their feedback of performance, it is a spiraling trap. But when I focus on pleasing you and being responsible for obedience to your call I feel faith rise and encouragement. I so often feel buried by the complications of all the layers of leading. It’s not just the minutia, it’s the multitasked flow of demand of attention, deep thought and the appearance of quick decisions. None of that comes easy to me. I live with the critic in my head that says I’m really bad at multitasking and multiple demands at once! I needed Paul words today to remind me of the audience of one – you!

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What happens when God has had enough!

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“On August 14 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city. Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.” 2 Kings‬ ‭25:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a brutal ending to Solomon’s temple and the whole city of Jerusalem. After multiple kings and years of horrible leadership and evil behavior, God brought in the foreign king of Babylon to serve justice to His own people.

Did God enjoy punishing, correcting His beloved Israel? No. Is God still good, right, just and true in having His own city rubbled to the ground? Yes. Warnings went unheeded, pleadings were met with harsh punishment on the prophets.

The kings of Israel were thoroughly stubborn enough to do their own thing and just as God had also warned them through Samuel (about Saul), kings can and will do some nasty things to have their own way. Four successive kings: Jehoahaz (23yrs old), Jehoiakim (25 yrs old), Jehoiachin (18 yrs old) and Zedekiah (21 yrs old) were all attributed this phrase, “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight….” So for 22 1/2 years Israel wasn’t just led by young inept leaders, they were stupid, cruel and wicked. It was a bad run of DNA or leadership culture that was not going to change. The last guy was the dumbest of the pack. “Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”‬‬ And it ended badly for him! “They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.”

Soon after, on August 14, 586 was one of the most awful days in Israel’s history. Yep, God will o be mocked and He’s not against using the wicked (even while trying to woo and negotiate with their hearts) to get His will accomplished.

It painfully reminds me in this long season of grace and mercy because of Jesus’ sacrifice, that God is still God. He is still holy, yet still good! Evil and wickedness cannot continue unleashed without consequences, without judgment or justice.

We would not want a world, an existence or eternity where evil was ignored nor where justice was blind. Yet we are shocked when WE ourselves, in our selfishness and willful evil decisions are also judged and consequences are experienced. I’m not a king or anything even close to that, but I have some limited leadership responsibility as a pastor. It is a sobering reminder as I read Israel’s history and see reflections of our humanity in these young kings decisions and of course, the final outcome.

PRAYER:

Dad,
Whew, what a gut check on this one. I’m not sure I think of the consequences of my decisions often enough. And not just how they effect my life, my family (poor Zedekiah’s sons!) but how they effect a larger group of people that I have influence over. The accountability to my actions are certainly overwhelming. I need, we need, your grace and power to live as Paul told young Timothy, an oversee must live above reproach.

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Deborah, the singing judge.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord! “Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
‭‭                                             Judges‬ ‭5:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Actually it was a duet. Samuel tells us, “Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song.” I’ve never heard a leadership song that sounded like a bold proclamation. Leaders took charge and people gladly followed. Sounds simple right?

Leadership is so interesting. First, I believe that people WANT others to lead. Leadership is hard. It’s hard because of the second reason, and it’s absolutely necessary, but difficult.

People also want to criticize others leadership. It’s hard and necessary because leaders love consensus and momentum, but the they also love friction – just enough opposition to make an idea even better, but not enough to lag or drag the whole idea, project or motion to failure. I also believe that most people do not want to lead because there is a big price to pay. The price is possible failure, or figuring out how to fix a plan WHILE it’s in motion. There’s a common phrase when it comes to new ideas, you feel like you are “building the plane while it’s flying.” There’s no amount of planning or foreseeing every detail that guarantees a successful flight. There’s also the pressure of an idea, plan or product working in real life – not theory.

For its success – it MUST SHIP. Software companies take a lot of heat for what’s called “beta” products. At some point, the software must ship and that’s exactly the point all the bugs (problems) show up. So often there’s 1.0, 2.0, 3 and so on. With small 2.1 or 3.5 improvements. Here in Judges Deborah and Barak break out in a leadership chorus. Whatever they were doing, it must have been successful. Israel’s leaders led and people followed. Write it down, sing a song about it, but certainly celebrate those moments.

PRAYER:

​Dad,
Leading others is so exciting, yet so full of its own ups, downs, goods and bads. I can understand why people don’t want to do it, it is MUCH easier to sit back and say things like, “someone should do something!” And, even criticism is easier.

The problems with a plan or idea just seem to JUMP out at folks who are not actually responsible to make something work. That part can be frustrating for me. I have made a commitment over the past five years to not only lead more and better, but not let my personality or character hold me back from pushing forward. I know you are with me and help me in so many ways. Thank you for those times.